Photographic-film-developing apparatus.



R. KROEDEL. PHOTOGRAPHIG. FILM DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

(APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 190a.

- Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. KROBDEL. PHOTOGRAPHIG FILM DEVELOPING ABPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1906. n

Patenteu Apr. 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

swentoz 31% means v no; 917,078.,

UNI E s'rArEs PATENT oFFroE.

ROBERT KROEDEL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAKCOMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION NEW YORK.

rno'roenAPHIc-rILM-nr:vnLoPnvG APPARATUS,

graphic Film-Developing Apparatus; and I.

ereby declare the following to be. a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference-being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the specification, and .to the-reference-numerals markedthereon.

My present invention relates to apparatus for developing or-otherwisetreating strips of sensitized photographic film, the entire processtaking place within a container from which light, or "the actinic raysthereof, is excluded, whereby the use of a dark room becomesunnecessary, and it has for its object to provide a simple, cheap andconvenient device of this nature by the use of which, film wound upon aspool 'orother contrivance may be unrolled without danger of injury andexposed to the developing washing or fixing solutions or other liquids.To these and other ends the invention consists in certainimprovementsand combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained, the novel features being pointed-out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawingszFigure 1 is a side elevation of a developing machineconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central,longitudinal, vertical section thereof with the cover removed. showing afilm roll or cartridge inserted ready to be unrolled and developed. Fig.3 is top plan view of the interior of the container with the parts inthe same position as in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a central, longitudinal,vertical section with the cartridge inserted and par H Fig. 5 is asimilar view with t tirely unrolled. 6 is a t section on the line 6---6of Fi collective view showing the manner of attaching the cartridgetothe unwinding device, and Fig. 8 is a erspective View of the supportupon which t e container is pivoted.

. Similar reference numeralsin' the several figures indicate similarparts. v

In a developing machine of the present type, it is desirable that, inunrolhng the j film, it be-laid upon its supports instead ofbeing drawnacross them as in the latter case Specification 3: Letters Patent.Application filed November 3, 1906. Serial 1%. 341,900.

v Patented. April 6, 1909.

the moistened surfaces retard the move ments of the Iparts and theincreased friction is a ,t to resu t ininjury to the delicate structurof the film To accomplish this operationl and at the same time dispensewithsuch' para hernalia' as the spacing apron wh ch is usua y employed.to separate the convolution's of film when the latter is wound u on areel as a support whereby I materially essen the cost of production, Iprovide a containing vessel havmg'separated transverse suppo ts betweenwhich the film is. extended throngs suitable means by fastenin the free'end thereof and drawing the spoo or roll over the 7 supports and betweenthem, whereby it is thoroughly exposed to-l the liquid in the con-'tainer, aided preferably by oscillation of the latter.

trate an embodiment of the invention, 1

slightly greater than that of thecartrid-ge'ior the development of whichthe machine is adapted and of a lengthequal, preferably, to about halfthat of the strip of film when unrolled. 'The edges of the tray areprefr 1' Referring now to the drawingswhich illus ably rolled as at 2toofi'er a .firm engage- 'ment for the cod crating portion of the cover3, the rim or ead 4 of'which, when in place, extends well over the saidedges as shown in section in Figs. 4 and 5, in order to insure a lighttight joint. I vided with an aperture near one end fitted with a plugfithrough which the liquids are poured. For the pur oses'of rocking there-v ceptacle it is )ivot-al y mounted at ornear The cover ispro.-

its center, an I provide a co venient sup-.-

port preferably constructed of a single piece of wire bent as shown inFig. 8, to form the c side standardsfi connected by the per c if", andhaving their upper ends .bent to engage sockets 9 on the lower side 0..I .t receptacle on which the lattermay he tilted. The connectingportion 7 ofthe support being located nearer one end of the receptaclethan the other, and the side portions or legs being arranged at thesides of the receptacle and extended horizontally to rest on the table,the base maybe folded up against-the bottom for shipping purposes 'wheredesired, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 1

. 'At one end the receptacle is provided with;

a reel or other winding device iormedin the present instance the drum orroller 10 .l operated by a crank -ll. on the exterior. "1circumferential groove 12 forms a central reduced portion to whiohisattached one end oi a flexible connector or cord 13, the groove beingpreferably of suilicient depth to allow the entire lei'igtli of cord.tobewound thereon without permitting the-outer convolutions to extendabove'the plane of the surface of the roller for reasons that will laterappear. The outerend oi the cord; is connected 130" a carrier for a coilor cartridge of film consisting'in the present instance oi" a yoke 14having armsv provided with trunnions or pins 15 (Fig.7) between whichthe filin cartridge is adapted to be held, said-pins mitted a. limitedmovement in a vertical direction; This roller is also provided-with acentralgroove 18 while the ends are re duced as at 19-to accommodate the.l'langes of the film spool when the latter passes over it.

The ordinary film cartridge or roll usually embodies a flanged spool.20., (Fig. 7) having axial: apertures '21 in the ends thereof by meansof which it is mounted for rotation in the camera, or roll. holder, andupon this spool is wound the strip-of film ZZ-together with an opaquebacking or covering 23 i slightly greater length attachecl thereto .111

such manner that in. unrolling, the film will appear'on theinside orbeneath the paper. Ihave, in the-present instance, illustrated the filmin this fem-1- and my device as adapted thereto but the film could bereadily accommodated when otherwise put up as, for instance, -the'trunnions- 15 could be simply inserted in the. ends of a roll intowhich 'it might be wound without a core. -I The operation is'as follows:Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3,. the cord 13 is passed from .tl e.roller .10, over roller 16, thence back benath the rolle'rsandthe yokeon its end se cured'to the coil of film; or cartridge spool by meansofthe trunnions 15, the cartridge being free .to rotate and in theposition shown being arranged against roller 10 with a portion ofContainer. The container is then tilted to elevate the end at which thefilm is positioned and a quantityof the, developing or other solutionpoured in. at the opposite or lower end where the capacity of the vesselis greater by reason of the presence of the roller 16 urnaled to extendtransversely thereof only. The cover is applied and secured by means ofthe clips 27 and so much ofthe' backing 'drawnout by hand as will startthe llIlWll'iLllllg, within the/receptacle, of the film itself, suitableindicia being preferably placed at such a point on the'backing as'will'show when the outer convolution'or protecting covering ofpaper-has been unwound. l Vhile the cover is, in the present instance,utilized to secure the free end of the paper during the operation ofthey rnachine, it is also made loose enough to permit. slight movementof. the paper as .justjdescribedthou'gh without allowing the entrance oflight, .or other means could be employed; to hold the end'of the paper,or it could be held bythe operator if desired. The crank 11 is then.turned, whereupon the cord 13' traveling. over. the roller 1 6 draws theflm spool with it unrolling the film as it goes. (hen the spool reachesthe roller- 1'6 the latter yields upwardly (as shown in Fig, 4) throughthepressureof the fianges'againstthe shoulder or'reduo'ed portion 19,until it has passed upon the upper .side, whereupon the roller dropsback again to its former position. Bymounting the roller in this way it18; made to support the la *ers of filmlower in the containirw vesselthan would otherwise be possible in handling a cartridge of anysize,-'and the amount of solution necessary to ysaturate it thoroughlyisthereby reduced. Continued motion of the crank completes the unwindinguntil the binding 'of'the yoke 14 upon.- the reel warns the operatorthatthe circuithas been completed (Fig. 5), and the iilrn withdrawn and laidin the receptacle in position to he sub jected to the action of thefluid. The vessel is then oscillated upon the support shown in. Fig. 1whereat the solution or liquid flows from end tp end was-hing thoroughlyover the horizontal layers of film until the desired effect thereon "hasbeen produced, after which the cover is removed, the yoke disengagedfrom the spool and. the latter together with the film withdrawn or elsethe liquid is drained out and replaoedwith other solutions.

By the means described, the strips are held in a. substantially extendedposition throughout, the film. being upon the outside .flJlCl-fI'COflOJDcontact with any portion of the apparatus by which the delicatesubstances upon its surface could be disturbed, while the cost ofmanufacturing such a machine is comparatively slight and the amount ofsolu- 'tion necessary reduced to a minimum, inasmuch as the latter,bythe movement imparted to it, washes freely on both layers, though itslevel, when in a state of rest, be slightly below the upper one. It willbe seen that in treating spools of film wherein the relative positionotthe film-strip and backing are reversed, or in other instances, theoperation may be reversed. or the spool the v .theinside against therollers.

turned end for end, when inserted, to bring film uppn the outside andthepaper on,

naked film can be laid around a number of- --s-u-p orts Withoutliability of damage.- I

.' preer, however,

tamer of such length that only two layersare exposed as this reducesliability of having.

to make the tray or conthe sensitized surface of any hard substance.

I claim as my invention:'

1. In a developing apparatus, the comthe film contact with bination witha receptacle, "of asupport therein and means operable from the exterrorof the receptacle for carrying a roll of film around the support.

2. In a developing apparatus, the combination with a receptacle, of asupport therein, a roll carrier and-means operable from the exterior ofthe receptacle for moving the carrier around the support.

3. In a developing apparatus, the combination with a receptacle, of asupport at one end thereof, a roll carrier and .means operable from theexterior of the receptacle for carrying the roll from one end of thec'asing around the support and back to the first mentioned end;--F";-

4. In a developing apparatus, the combination with a receptacle, of asupport arranged at one end thereof, a roll carrier, and .a flexibleconnector attached to the said carrier and extending around saidsupport.

5. In a developing apparatus, the combination with a rece tacle, of asupport arranged at one end t iereof, a roll carrier, a flexibleconnector attachedto said .carrier and extending around said support anda winding drum arranged op osite the sup port to which the connector isattached.

6. In a developing a paratus, the combination'with a receptac e, a su)port at one end movable transversely of the length of i the latter, awinding drum arranged at the opposite end of thereceptacle, a flexibleconnector attached at one end to the drum and extendingaround thesupport and a roll car- 'rier'attached to one end of the connector.

"7. In a developing a paratiis, the combination with a receptac e, asupport at one end thereof, a winding drum at the opposite end, meansfor operating said drum from the exterior of the receptacle, and aflexible eonnector attached to the drum and extending around saidsupport.

;8 In a developing apparatus, the combination with an elongatedreceptacle, of a attached tot yielding support at one end, a." windingdevice at the o posite end,'a flexible connector he winding drum andextendin around thesupport and a roll carrier secured 1 to'theconnector.

-9. In a developing apparatus, the con-1 bination withi an elongatedreceptacle, and a base upon which it is ivoted for rocking, of meansarranged within the receptacle and operable from the exterior forextending film in two substantially horizontal stretches. 10. In adeveloping apparatus, the cornbination with a receptacle andfilm-supporting devices mountedtherein, of means for holding one end ofthe film against movement and a traveling member adapted to beconnectedwith the roll for unwinding the film and extending it in asubstantially flat position on the supporting devices. llfiIn adeveloping apparatus, the combin ation with a receptacle, of a windingdevice mounted therein operable from the exterior of the receptacle, afilm support, means for securing one end ofthe fllm against mo vementand a flexibleconnecting member on the winding device-extending aroundthe. support and ada ted to, be attached to the other end of the rilmstrip.

v12. In a developing apparatus, the cornhination' with a receptacle, ofa winding drum having a reduced portion mounted therein and operablefrom the exterior of the receptacle, a iilm support,'means for securingone end of the film against movement and a flexible member on the drumadapted to be -wound upon the reduced portion thereof and extendingaround the support and means for connecting said member with the otherend of the Elm.

13. In a developing apparatus, the combination with'a receptacle, ofafilm support and a winding device mountedftherein, the latter having aflexible connecting member attached thereto and extending around thesupport, means for securing the free end of the iilm and a yoke on theflexible member adapted-to engage the ends ofa ilm roll. 14(111 adeveloping apparatus, the combination with a receptacle and means forholding the end of a film against movement, of a film. supporting rollermounted in the receptacle and provided with reducedportions at eitherend andmeans for drawing a film spool around the latter to unwind thefilm therefrom.

15. In a developing apparatus, the combination with a receptacle andmeans for holding one end of a "film against movement, of aresiliently-mounted film support, and means for drawing a .zilm rollaround the latter to unwind the film therefrom.

16. In a developing apparatus, the combination with a receptacle andmeans for holding oneend of a "film against movement,

of resilient arms, a revolublefilm support holding the free end of thefilm against move.

ment and means for advancing the spool to unwind the "film and'expose itto liquid in the receptacle.

18. In adeveloping apparatus, the coinbination with a receptacleprovided with a filmsupport, of means for holding the free end of the-lilm against movement and means for advancing a roll of film over thesupport to unwind the film and lay it thereon.

19. In a developingapparatus, the 'com-- bination with a receptacle, ofmeans for holding the free end of a film against movement and meanspivotally connected to a film for advancing the latter to unwind thefilm and expose it to the liquid.

20. The combination with a rocking dc veloping receptacle, of a supportembodying 21. The combination with a rocking developing receptacleprovided with sockets at opposite sides of a support composed of asinglepiece of 'material embodying side standards having inwardly extendingends pivoted in sockets, the horizontal base portions extendinglengthwise of the latter upon both sides of the pivot and a connectingportion between corresponding ends of the ase portions permitting thestandards to fold against the sides of the receptacle.

ROBERT KRQEDEL.

I Witnesses:

RUssELL B. GRIFFITH,

CLARENCE A. BATEMAN

